Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

PAUL’S INFANTILE REGENERATION.
9. “But I was alive at one time without law.” We are all generated in Adam the First, spiritually
dead (Psalm 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:22). The moment soul and body united involve personality, we
pass normally into the mediatorial kingdom, where Christ gives life to all. Hence, like the Prodigal
Son, we are all born in the kingdom of God, and only get out by sinning out. The old theology
holding the justification and not the regeneration of infants is untenable, as these two works, though
separate and distinct, the former in heaven canceling condemnation, and the latter in the heart
vitalizing the spirit; yet they are always synchronal, the one never existing without the other, the
former logically preceding, but instantaneously followed by the latter. Justification disqualifies for
hell, and regeneration is indispensable to heaven. Hence the hypothesis that our infants are justified
and not vitalized is untenable and clearly refuted by this passage; while Paul affirms his own
infantile regeneration, which he retained till he reached responsibility and forfeited it by violating
known law. Hence this case clearly confirms the regeneration as well as the justification of infants.
Therefore, infants are not sinners, but Christians when they are born into the world, and so remain
till they commit actual transgression. Is it possible to bring them up without the forfeiture of their
infantile justification and regeneration? Certainly; and this is our imperative duty. In that case, would
they need conversion? They would, in order to keep them justified and regenerated. If they are born
justified and regenerated by the normal work of Christ, in what would their conversion consist? The
word does not mean justification and regeneration (though these graces are indispensable in case of
actual conversion, being the antithesis of condemnation and spiritual death), but “a turning,” which
all infants need, being born depraved, i.e., with inbred sin in the heart, which so turns them away
from God that, if not turned round and introduced to the Savior, will start directly away from Him
so soon as they set out in responsible life. Hence, take the infant, turn him round, introduce him to
the Savior before he loses infantile justification, and then get him sanctified before he backslides,
and you would soon see a giant in the kingdom. “The commandment having come, sin revived,
10. “And I died; and the commandment which was unto life, the same was found to me to be unto
death.” When Paul reached responsibility, coming in contact with the law, like the rest of us, he
unfortunately antagonized it, thus forfeiting his infantile justification. the law, which, instrumental
in the divine administration, and, of course, conducive to life, when disobeyed became the swift
vehicle of death. Consequently he died spiritually, the inbred sin, of course, lying dormant, having
nothing to do till the time came. Then it revived, beginning an exterminating war against the law,
he, taking side with it, died spiritually.
11. “For sin, taking occasion through the commandment, deceived me and through it slew me.”
This verse explains itself. The commandment aroused inbred sin, hitherto still and dormant in his
heart. If he had not yielded to sin, the law would have been a great blessing to him. But, like the rest
of us, he yielded to sin, which consequently slew him outright.
12. “So the law indeed is holy, just and good.” That is certainly true, because the law is the very
radiation of the divine purity and glory, yet when antagonized becomes the swift vehicle of
condemnation, infinitely augmenting eternal responsibility.